5 Tips That Can Help Make Your Home More Energy Efficient

There are a few steps you can take right now that may make your home more energy efficient and eco-friendly, and may save you money year-round. Here are five tips recommended by Matt Hickman, a blogger who writes about all things “green” for the home at Mother Nature Network.

1. Turn down your thermostat.

It sounds obvious, but “one of the most effective—and easiest—things a homeowner/renter can do is simply crank down the thermostat a notch,” says Hickman. Heating accounts for the largest portion of your utility bill, with space heating the biggest component (45%), according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). We all know 68°F is an ideal temperature. But for “every degree you set it back in the 60°F to 70°F range, you can save up to 5% in energy costs,” says Hickman. “At night, setting it back to 55°F can save you 5% to 20% in heating costs. Of course, a good winter sweater can be key here,” he adds. What’s more, programmable ‘smart’ thermostats—“devices that help to heat and cool a home based on the schedules and habits of its inhabitants—are great investments that can pay for themselves pretty quickly.”

2. Wrap your water heater.

Water heating is the second largest energy expense in your home, accounting for 18% of your utility bill, says the DOE. That’s often due to standby losses—wasted energy resulting from continuous water heating. You can effectively reduce standby losses by wrapping an energy-efficient blanket around your water heater. For more information about choosing the right blanket, visit the Buyers Protection Group website.

3. Plug air leaks.

Drafts are the enemy when it comes to saving energy. “Caulking, weather stripping, and draft stoppers or snakes are easy, quick fixes. You can get creative and make your own plugs, using recycled household materials like old jeans,” suggests Hickman. Such barriers “help to keep cold air out and warm air in, lowering the pressure on heating systems.”

Triple-pane windows and extra layers of insulation are also wise investments, although the initial cost can run a bit higher than the simpler fixes. For chimneys, there are inflatable draft stoppers that keep warm air from escaping up and out of the house. “This is best for people who don’t use their wood-burning fireplaces regularly during the winter months,” says Hickman. If you have an attic with a hatch and pull-down stairs, you might consider an attic stair cover to block cold air during the winter and contain heat in the attic during the summer, he suggests.

Heating accounts for the largest portion of your utility bill.

4. Weigh insulation choices.

“The two primary types are fiberglass and cellulose, but there are pros and cons with both, including health issues,” says Hickman. “Cellulose is thought to be the healthier choice—no inhaling teeny-tiny particles of airborne glass—but even though it’s treated with flame-retardants, it’s more susceptible to fire than fiberglass.” On the other hand, says Hickman, fiberglass tends to maintain a higher R-value—a measure of the resistance to heat flow through a given thickness of insulation. R-values differ for different insulated areas—floors, walls, the roof, etc. Generally, the higher the R-value, the greater the energy savings.

5. Switch to LED bulbs.

Upgrading your lighting is a good year-round fix for conserving energy, says Hickman. “There’s never a bad time to swap out incandescent bulbs for CFLs (compact fluorescent lights) and, more ideally, LEDs (light-emitting diodes). Some of the newer LEDs come with remote capabilities that can be controlled via smartphone or computer. The best part? Years, even decades, can go by without having to change them, and they draw much less juice than both incandescents and CFLs. In October, IKEA said it would sell LED-only bulbs by 2016.